The present invention relates generally to an electronic control system for an internal combustion engine mountable in an automotive vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to the electronic engine control system provided with a checking unit for checking sensors and actuators in the control system.
Recently, the electronic engine control system for automatically controlling the fuel injection amount and timing, the spark ignition timing, the exhaust gas recirculation rate and the idle engine speed and so on corresponding to the engine operating condition, has been becoming popular. In such control systems, it is quite important to input accurately determined data indicative of the engine operating condition. It is also essential for effective engine control to precisely actuate the actuators of the fuel injector, the exhaust gas recirculation rate control valve, the idle air control valve and so on. On the other hand, if the controlling microcomputer fails, it is quite difficult to seek the case of the failure in conventional systems.